4. “Death has become like a tyrant who has been completely conquered by the legitimate monarch.” – Athanasius (c.296-373, Egypt)

5. “For what am I to myself without You but a guide to my own downfall?” – Augustine (354-430, Hippo)

6. “But man turned his back on the face of God, when in his pride he despised His commands. Yet still God deserted him not in his pride, in that He...appeared in the flesh of our mortality.” – Gregory the Great (540-604, Rome)

14. “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” – John Owen (1616-1683, England)

15. “Nothing that we are and nothing that we can do enters in the slightest measure into the ground of our acceptance with God. Jesus did it all.” – B.B. Warfield (1851-1921, America)

16. “None of us feels the true love of God until we realize how wicked we are.” – Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957, England)

17. “It is not the strength of your faith, but the object of your faith that actually saves you.” – Tim Keller (1950, America)

18. “God does not protect us from things that harm us. He protects us as we go through them, to the other side of the resurrection, where our real hopes and happiness lie. Now there’s a thought I can cling to.” – Kathy Keller (1950, America)

19. “When Christ is not at the center, all of our good intentions are swallowed up by selfishness.” – Rosaria Butterfield (1962, America)

20. “Death has died in the death of Christ.” – Conrad Mbewe (Present day, Zambia)

21. “I don’t go anywhere. I am sent. All of your moves are guided by the Father for the sake of redemptive history.” – Elias Medeiros (Present day, Brazil)

Friday, March 17, 2017

As the world celebrates St. Patrick's Day today (or... as my youngest daughter called it, "Green Day"), take a moment to revel in his great hymn, The Lorica (translation: the breastplate).

HERE is a recording of it being sung by the choir at Providence Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.

I bind unto myself today, the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.
I bind this day to me forever, by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river; his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb; his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom: I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power, of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour; the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word, the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord, and purity of ransomed souls.

I bind unto myself today, the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun's life-giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free, the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea, around the old undying rocks.

I bind unto myself today, the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to hearken, to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the Word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Oftentimes critics of the Christian faith will try to make a case that the Bible has been adapted over the centuries. It's changed; it's been altered. You can't trust that what you read in your ESV is what Isaiah or Moses actually wrote.

This has been disproven time and time again. Take, for example, the witness of the Dead Sea Scrolls. When they were discovered, they bridged a gap of an entire millennium in textual transmission. And what did they show? That there had been no changes to the text.

Our Bibles today are faithful and accurate to what our forefathers/mothers in the faith were studying in Hebrew thousands of years ago.

As we at DPC are currently in the midst of a part of the Scriptures written by Moses, this is a good time to revisit this story you might have seen from this past September. It's an incredible discovery, with a really cool video, showing off some astounding science & technology:

Thursday, February 23, 2017

I may make a brief mention of this presentation in this week's sermon, but allow me to use this venue as well to encourage you to set aside some time, make yourself a cup of coffee, tell the kids to go read a book, and then enjoy this 53 minute presentation:

It's a fascinating and rich demonstration of how the Scripture is very much rooted in real history.

If the Bible is just someone's literary invention for private religious experiences, let's not waste too much time with it. But if it's an eyewitness account of God's invasion of space and time, revealing himself to his people... then let us honor it above all. (Psalm 138.2)

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Come join us this weekend for PART I of the 2017 DPC MISSIONS CONFERENCE!

Our first special speaker will be Muche Ukegbu, pictured above with his beautiful family. I met Muche and his wife and heard them both speak back in the summer. They are wonderful, and I'm so thankful they're coming to DPC.

The first few words of Muche's bio... "Muche was born dead in every sense of the word. The doctors frantically rushed to resuscitate him as his family begged God to spare his life. God in His mercy restored his life, thus he was named Onyemauchechukwu (imagine how kindergarten was for him!). Translated this name means "no one knows God's mind." Though he ran from the God that gave life to his body, Jesus wouldn't let him get away...".

Twenty One Theologians

About Me

Husband of an excellent wife who is far more precious than jewels. Daddy of five workers of iniquity who are also beloved gifts from the Lord, children of the covenant, arrows in the hand of a warrior. Pastor of the family of God's blood-bought people known as Decatur Presbyterian Church, against whom the gates of Hell shall not prevail. Follower of the Risen King of the Universe, the Conqueror of Death, the One who has paid the ransom for me & has not treated me as my sins deserved.